“Penn Hills resident Ed Zullo doesn’t have children young enough to attend a charter school being proposed for the community.
But he likes the idea of a school that inspires competition for the local public schools.
‘I think a charter school would be a good thing for our community,’ said Zullo, one of about a dozen people who braved a snowstorm Thursday evening to attend a public hearing on the proposed charter school.
‘People in Penn Hills, and those who might be considering moving here but have some concerns about the schools, would at least have a choice if a charter school were available,’ Zullo said. ‘I support the idea.’
Representatives from Arlington, Va.-based Imagine Schools are seeking approval from the Penn Hills School Board to open a school to accommodate about 600 students in kindergarten through eight grade.
The proposal calls for a school that would employ a ‘micro-society’ approach that focuses on helping students develop skills they need to become entrepreneurs. The school would have a rigorous curriculum, uniforms, a strict code of conduct and a requirement that parents, students and administrators sign a compact outlining what is expected of them.
Imagine operates 72 charter schools in the United States, including one in Regent Square that focuses on environmental studies.
Charter schools are public schools that operate independently of local districts, but are subject to approval by them. If the school board denies Imagine’s application, the company can appeal the decision to the state Department of Education.”
Article published on January 21, 2011 by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review